Lillyrod's Quest
by Lillyrod
Summary: Lillyrod, a white furred Thunderclan warrior who find's herself in a web of problems as a prophecy begins to unfold, so powerful that not even the power of Starclan can control it. If Lillyrod is destined to leave, why does she tell herself to stay?
1. Chapter 1

Lillyrod awoke in the warriors den early one leaf-fall morning. Her apprentice, Spottedpaw, was already waiting for her by the thorn tunnel. "When is Firestar going to make me a warrior?" Spottedpaw complained. "Hawkpaw's ceremony is tonight, and she was kitted when I was two moons old!"

"You have a good memory."

Lillyrod jumped as the deputy, Brambleclaw, limped up to them. He had broken his leg permanently when a tree fell on it during a thunderstorm. "I hope you remembered to clean out the elders den. Sandstorm's been complaining about dirty moss. Dustpelt's is complaining of ticks as well."

"I'll make sure she does it as soon as we get back from hunting." Lillyrod retorted. Spottedpaw was nearly a warrior, but she was still her apprentice.

"Are we going to sit here all day, or can we go hunting?" Spottedpaw piped up.

"Oh yes of course we can. Maybe if you catch enough prey today, I'll talk with Firestar."

Spottedpaw's eye's widened in excitement. After all, she was twelve moons old. Her mother, Hollypelt, was Squirrelflight's daughter, and her mother was Sandstorm, Firestar's mate.

"Shall we hunt by the Sky Oak?" Spottedpaw mewed excitedly.

"Yes, and if you catch ten squirrels, three mice, two birds, and four voles I'll make sure that you become a warrior before nightfall." Lillyrod teased. Even though Spottedpaw never believed her when she did that, it was still fun.

"I accept your challenge, but instead of catching two birds, I'll catch five." Spottedpaw boasted. Although Spottedpaw was the best bird hunter in the Clan, Lillyrod was still doubtful.

"If you beat my challenge, you'd be an even better hunter than Sandstorm was!"

"Hey, I was only joking. I can't catch that much prey in half a moon in newleaf!" Spottedpaw retorted.

"Hey I was only joking myself. Come on, it'll be fun. And remember, this is a hunting assessment. I can't help you, talk to you, and you can't see me. And besides, the fresh-kill pile is getting pretty empty..."

"Okay, okay! I'll hurry up. Just don't scare all the prey, like you usually do!"

Spottedpaw called over her shoulder as she ran off in the direction of the Sky Oak.

"She asked for it!" Lillyrod murmured as she silently but quickly stalked her through the undergrowth.

By the time they got back from the hunting assessment, it was nearly sunhigh. Spottedpaw had caught three squirrels, four birds, two mice, and a vole. On the way back Lillyrod caught a thrush.

"You can get Blackpaw and Soottail to help you get the rest of the prey. I need to go do something." Lillyrod meowed. Soottail and Blackpaw were Spottedpaw's littermates, but Soottail became a warrior half a moon early because he saved Firestar and Sandstorm from being torn apart from a badger.

Lillyrod licked her white chest before calling out to Firestar.

"Enter!" He calmly yowled.

Lillyrod saw Firestar and Sandstorm having their pelt's checked for ticks by Leafpool and Jaywing. "Greetings Firestar, Sandstorm, Leafpool, and Jaywing."

Lillyrod prompted. "Spottedpaw has done well on her hunting assessment. I, I think she should become a warrior."

Leafpool's eyes seemed to glow as if her own kit was becoming a warrior. The glow left her eyes when Firestar began to speak.

"She will be given her warrior name tonight, with Hawkpaw and Blackpaw." His voice seemed to croak as the elderly leader "We will have to wait for Hawkpaw to return from her patrol, though."

"Of course." Lillyrod dipped her head in farewell and backed out of the cave.

Blackpaw and Soottail accompanied Spottedpaw as she entered the camp, with their jaws full of fresh-kill. "Spottedpaw," Lillyrod murmured into her ear, "be ready to be called something different."

Spottedpaw shrieked in excitement. "A warrior! Thank you, thank you, and thank you! Thank Starclan! I'm going to be a warrior!" She grabbed some prey and took off to the elder's den.

"I see prey is running smoothly. Who knew our sister would be such a good hunter!" Soottail exclaimed when she had gone.

"Oh, she'll make a fine warrior. She's a great fighter too. She gave me a nick on my ear while training! Claws Sheathed!"

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar's familiar yowl awoke Lillyrod from a nap. Cats began to pour out of their dens, while Ferncloud's kit scuttled out of the nursery, exited to hear news.

"Spottedpaw, Hawkpaw, Blackpaw, please step forward. I call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon these three apprentices. They have trained well and are ready to become warriors. Hawkpaw, will you uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do"

"Then by the power of Starclan, I present you with your warrior name. From this point on, you will be known as Hawkeyes. Starclan honors you for your courage and strength." Firestar rested his ginger-gray muzzle atop her forehead, and she licked his shoulder in return.

"Spottedpaw, will you uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I-I do."

"Then by the power in Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this point on, you will be known as Spotted-" Firestar paused "-Spottedleaf. Starclan honors you for your courage and strength." He rested his muzzle atop her forehead, and she licked his shoulder.

"Blackpaw, will you uphold the warrior code, and protect your Clan, even ay the cost of your life?"

"I do." He replied proudly.

"Then by the power of Starclan, I present you with your warrior name. From this point on, you will be known as Blackhawk. Starclan honors you for your courage and strength." Firestar rested his muzzle on Blackhawk's forehead. In return, he licked his shoulder.

"Hawkeyes! Spottedleaf! Blackhawk! Hawkeyes! Spottedleaf! Blackhawk!"

The Clan chanted.

Lillyrod was the first to congratulate Spottedleaf. Her first ever apprentice was now a warrior! However, as her eyes strayed over to Firestar, she saw something in his eyes that made her fur bristle. What was the all-brave Thunderclan leader afraid of? Was he hurt? Was he scared? There was something there that made her want to jump out of her pelt.

"Hey, Lillyrod! Want to join me in a piece of fresh-kill?" Foxfur strode up to her with a friendly smile on his face. Foxfur was her mentor, her friend, and sometimes when they were together, they seemed to act like mates.

"Sure." Lillyrod replied. "Do you think that Spottedleaf would like to join?"

"Um, er, I dunno. I was just hoping that we could talk and stuff-"

"Hey, Lillyrod! Foxfur! Do you want to join me, Jaywing, Lionclaw, Thornclaw, and Whitewing for some fresh-kill?" Spottedleaf called. Jaywing is Leafpool's-the medicine cat's apprentice. Lionclaw and Thornclaw are fellow warriors, and Whitewing is a nursery queen, who almost never leaves Thornclaw's side. However, Lionclaw and Jaywing are her uncles, the brothers of her mother, Hollypelt. Her mother could not join them for she just gave birth to a newborn kit named Bluekit. She saw Bluekit before, but both times he was very small.

"Honeyflower is expecting kits! Our first litter! I can't wait to see them! How many do you think they'll be?" Lionclaw mewed excitedly to Jaywing.

"With all these kits, Thunderclan will be the largest of all Clans!" Thornclaw exclaimed, looking at Whitewing's heavily swollen belly.

"Leafpool thinks there may be five! Isn't that exiting?" Whitewing replied to a shocked looking Thornclaw.

"Come on, Foxfur," Lillyrod continued, "Spottedleaf just became a warrior. Can't we talk later?"

"I guess. It's just that I have dawn patrol and a hunting party in the afternoon. There won't be any time for _us_."

"Oh, Foxfur. We always have time. Starclan will make sure that we do!" She purred sympathetically. Come on. Let's go get one of those fat, juicy squirrels that Spottedleaf caught earlier."

"Shadowclan intruders are in the camp!" Spiderleg's alarm rang around the camp like a thunderstorm. Two Shadowclan warriors were standing peacefully at the camp entrance, with Spiderleg and Birchfall standing next to them, their fur fluffed out twice their size. Lillyrod instantly recognized the two warriors. Brambleclaw's sister, Tawnypelt, and her son, Tigerstripe. "And they wish to speak to Firestar!"

"I'm here, I'm here. What do they want?" Firestar yowled back.

"We come to your camp in peace. Russetstar is worried that because Windclan and Riverclan are being so quiet at Gatherings, they may be forming an alliance. She wants to know if Thunderclan knows anything about it. Tawnypelt spoke without a single hint if fear.

"I know nothing of the sort. If that is all, please leave our territory, _now_!" He growled. Firestar never slows down, but he seemed a little harsh.

"But Russetstar-"

"We know nothing of the sort! Leave our territory at once, or we'll tear you to shreds!" Firestar thundered. Lillyrod had never seen him this angry. Spiderleg and Birchfall shoved them out of the camp and towards the border. Brambleclaw looked hurt to see his kin treated this way. "Carry on." Firestar growled and stalked back to his den.

"He's in a bad mood today." Foxfur muttered to Lillyrod.

"Hm. He does seem a little shaky. I guess it's because he's getting old." Lillyrod guessed. She was lying, because she knew _something_ was on his mind.

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**Hey This is my VERY first story ever, so comments are appreciated as well as criticism. : )**


	2. Chapter 2

**xx-Starfall-xx : ...You know Thornclaw is Whitewing's uncle, right? Brightheart is his sister.**

**Yes, I do know that, in fact. But even Erin Hunter wrote in the book that Thornclaw liked Whitewing. It may be in the fourth book, I can't remember. But it was there.**

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Lillyrod heard the sound of tiny paws scuffling in the undergrowth. With a pounce and a swift bite to the neck, she was trotting away with a fat vole.

"Nice catch, even for leafbare!" Foxfur called. In his jaws was a pitifully small mouse. "My catch might feed a _kit_."

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself!" Icewind scolded. Icewind, Foxfur's sister, was always stern when it came to prey. Icewind had tow thrushes and a squirrel at her feet.

"That squirrel's tail is as bushy as Dewpaw when one paw pins down his tail!" Lillyrod exclaimed.

"This winter is going to be a hard one." Icewind mewed softly.

As the three warriors padded back to camp, Lillyrod noticed how quiet it was. The kits were in their dens, the apprentices weren't play fighting, and the warriors were all speaking in hushed tones. She padded over to Spottedleaf.

"Is everything okay here?" Lillyrod asked her.

"It's Longtail," Spottedleaf replied solemnly, "they think his heart may be failing. Don't die, Longtail, don't die!" Spottedleaf wailed.

Leafpool and Jaywing stepped out of the elder's den. "He's going to be fine, but he does have greencough." Jaywing reported. "We need a warrior to go fetch some catmint from the abandoned twoleg nest, though."

Lillyrod noticed that the whole time the dilemma was going on Firestar kept staring at Spottedleaf. "Why is he staring at Spottedleaf?" Lillyrod whispered to Foxfur, who was sitting beside her.

"Who's 'he', Firestar? Starclan knows. Maybe he thinks she's pretty. Let's not interfere." Foxfur rolled his eyes at her.

For next few days, Lillyrod noticed how Firestar kept staring at Spottedleaf. While hunting, he let his prey run around him and away again and again because he was staring off in the distance. In addition, as Graystripe grew older, Brambleclaw had to give the ceremony himself because Firestar wouldn't leave his den.

"Lillyrod, Foxfur, and Cloudtail, take a patrol up along the Shadowclan border. If you scent them, follow it. If it leads onto our territory, chase the trail until you see them if they refuse to leave, attack them. No questions asked." Brambleclaw ordered.

Stormfur and Brook's oldest son, Rainmask, ran up to Lillyrod. "Have you seen Spottedleaf? I need to ask her-"

"Right here, Rainmask! I heard you were the father of a new litter!" Spottedleaf interrupted as she quickly caught up to them.

"I-I, no I'm not!" Rainmask quickly stammered.

"Of course you are-_mine_! I'm expecting kits!" Spottedleaf squealed.

Lillyrod stared at her blankly. _What was she thinking? It's leafbare!_ "What were you thinking?" Lillyrod meowed scornfully to Spottedleaf.

"Well, I wanted to have kits, Rainmask and I liked each other since I was an apprentice, any more questions?" Spottedleaf retorted.

Lillyrod completely forgot how angry she was when Firestar padded over to them, as if he was his old self again. "Hello. What is this I hear about new kits coming to the Clan?"

"Spottedleaf is going to have my kits!" Rainmask blurted out.

"Congratulations." Firestar murmured and then padded out of camp.

"Hello there!" Lillyrod almost jumped out of her snow-white pelt when she heard Cinderfur's mew from behind her. "You were going to follow Firestar, weren't you?"

"Er, no I was-"

"You were, weren't you? I could tell by the look in your eyes. I think something is going on between him and Spottedleaf. She's having kits, right? He's going to be a great-great-grandfather! Maybe he's going to the moonpool. He's usually with Sandstorm. Do-"

"Okay, yes I was going to follow him! Could you please be quiet? If you kept talking, half the Clan would know that he's going to the moonpool!" Lillyrod hushed her.

Together they set off to follow Firestar's trail. It lead towards the lake, around the Sky Oak, along the Shadowclan border, and back into camp.

"Oh, I guess I was wrong. Honest mistake, right?" Cinderfur apologized to Lillyrod.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar yowled from inside the camp. Lillyrod and Cinderfur padded in as the other warriors, queens, elders, and apprentices gathered around the Highledge. "Brambleclaw, from the unfortunate event that broke your hind leg, is it your wish to join the elders for the remainder of your life?"

"It is."

"Starclan has honored you for your moons of service to your Clan. Starclan has granted you many moons of rest." Firestar finished.

"Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw!" The Clan chanted as if Brambleclaw was just becoming a warrior.

"I shall announce the new deputy before moonhigh." Firestar continued after the cats settled down.

"Hey, Cinderfur," Lillyrod whispered, "I'm heading to the moonpool after he names the new deputy. I want you to come along too."

It was sunset when Firestar emerged from his den. The Clan was already gathered below the Highledge as he yowled for the meeting to begin.

"I have chosen my new deputy. Their youth will bring energy to the Clan, as well as strength and loyalty. They have won many battles and will win much more. Lillyrod will be the new deputy."

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**The chapter was a little short...but I was very busy. ; )**


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